This is the first in a series of guest posts from readers and bloggers who are living in Japan and following a gluten free diet. If you’re interested in writing for Gluten Free in Japan, please query with an email that includes your article idea(s).

Today’s guest post is by Kari. She currently lives in Aomori Prefecture with her husband, Ben, and her dog, Seamus. She was diagnosed with Celiac disease in 2012 and a corn allergy in 2013. She and her husband love to travel and photograph their adventures together. Kari’s blogs atThe Part of Everything.

Having Celiac disease is not easy, and having it in a country that does not really recognize it as an issue makes for an interesting situation. While I definitely feel lucky that we figured all of this out while living in a country where the people are extremely helpful and accommodating, it doesn’t help things that most Japanese have never heard of “celiac” or “gluten” and have no idea which foods contain the ingredients I need to avoid. Explaining a “wheat allergy” is simply not enough, since there is hidden gluten in just about everything here.

My diagnosis was a few years ago, and my husband and I have finally figured out our “system” here at home. Traveling, though, has been a different story. We originally moved to Japan so we would be able to travel, experience cultures, and see the world. These goals were easy to accomplish pre-celiac, but they have become incredibly difficult now. When we travel these days, 2/3 of our baggage contains food in case we can’t find restaurants that will serve me (this has happened – while it’s frustrating, I’d rather they tell me up front they can’t serve me than to serve me food that will make me sick).

On our first trip to Tokyo, I really enjoyed the city but didn’t plan to visit again. It was too big, and there were too many people. We added other Japanese cities to our list of places to visit, not envisioning a return to Tokyo in the near future.

Then, celiac happened.

Our first post-diagnosis visit to Tokyo was very different than our previous time. My husband’s parents were coming to visit and we had plans to join them in Tokyo for a week before traveling with them back up to our home in Aomori. This trip, I had to research EVERYTHING ahead of time. Our schedules and destinations revolved around the few “safe” restaurants I had researched. The time leading up to our departure was full of anxiety, as there were not many resources and blogs out there to help. Those that did exist gave conflicting information. (Examples include whether plain combini onigiri or senbei are always safe bets… FYI, they’re not.) Looking back, though, our trip wasn’t half bad! We found a few restaurants that were able to accommodate my dietary restrictions, and even one that specifically had fluent English-speakers to help in situations like mine. The city has become one of my “safe places” and we are always excited to travel there now. We have since visited Tokyo multiple times, and continue to go back to our tried-and-true favorite places.

Sadly, some of these restaurants are no longer open. A few are, though, and I wanted to make sure to write about them in case this information can help anyone traveling to Tokyo with celiac disease or gluten intolerance. I am extremely sensitive to cross contamination, and have never gotten sick at the following restaurants.

The first restaurant I’d highly recommend is Gonpachi. I have visited several locations of this Tokyo restaurant, and haven’t gotten sick at any of them, but my favorite is the location in Nishi Azabu. I have written about this place before, but didn’t really go into much detail about their allergy protocols. I was a baby celiac at that point, and I’ve since learned that I was doing so many things incorrectly at that point. I have, however, been back to this restaurant several times since, and have still had wonderful experiences every time.

While Gonpachi is an izakaya style restaurant, they use very good quality meats and vegetables in their cooking. Their noodles (which aren’t gluten free) are made by hand each day, and they try to source from local farms. I won’t eat at most izakaya style restaurants, but this one is my exception because of these reasons. Another reason is that Gonpachi Nishi Azabu has an “allergy specialist” to help people like me figure out what they can eat safely.

At the time of the writing of this blog, Gonapchi Nishi Azabu’s allergy specialist is named Teresa. She is fabulous to work with and we always check before heading to Tokyo to ensure she will be working when we visit. Teresa speaks English and is well-versed in finding foods that are safe for those with allergies. She is willing to go back and forth between the customer and the chefs to ensure that the correct ingredients and protocols are taken to keep someone from getting contaminated.

If you go, make sure you ask her to remind the cooking staff to clean the surfaces before cooking your food.

Here are a few of my favorite things off the menu:

Asparagus wrapped in bacon. This is quintessential izakaya food if you eat pork. So delicious!

Rice bowl. Gonpachi has a few rice bowls, but none of them (as they are on the menu) are safe for someone who is very sensitive. They will, however, make one for you that is, as long as you let them know exactly what you need! I get a modified “takana meshi” – without the pickled mustard leaves and with an addition of grilled chicken and fresh avocado. They bring out all the seaweed and spices separately, so I can see exactly what will go into my bowl before it’s done. I mix it up and add my safe soy sauce myself, and it’s delicious!

Gyutan. I love beef tongue when it’s done correctly, and it’s definitely done correctly here. I ask for the gyutan without the sesame oil, as I have not been able to confirm that it’s safe. I just use my safe soy sauce for dipping instead.

Chicken on a skewer. I’m not sure that this one is on the menu by itself, but they’ve never had an issue with making it for me. I love yakitori and rarely get to order it, because it’s so difficult to find restaurants with safe cooking practices in terms of cross contamination! I order it shiodake (with salt only) and then use my soy sauce.

Yuzu Lime Iced Tea. I look forward to coming to Gonpachi for the yuzu tea more than anything else, especially in the summer. It’s so delicious! The first post-celiac time we visited Gonpachi, I was very nervous about trying this again, but I’ve never had a reaction from it!

All in all, Gonpachi is definitely worth a visit!

My other favorite restaurant in Tokyo is Moti. This is an Indian restaurant near Roppongi Station. The owner speaks some English and while he doesn’t know much about gluten or celiac, he is very willing to go over all ingredients with you. I can’t say I’ve branched out as far as the menu goes, because the butter chicken curry is so good that I get it every time.

We have visited every six months or so, and the owners always remember us when we walk in. Just make sure you check every ingredient and let the owners know what you’re avoiding so they can check it. Also, ask for rice instead of the naan and you’ll be good to go. They have offered sticky rice in the past, so you will need to make sure you opt for plain rice (the sticky rice is not safe).

I hope this is able to help you as you navigate your way through Tokyo! Let me know if you have any great gluten free experiences at either of these (or any other) restaurants in Tokyo!

お久しぶりですね。 元気ですか。 It’s been a while since I last posted. I hope all of you are doing well. If you’re traveling through Japan or moving on to Hong Kong during your tour of Asia, I have some link love to share with you all. First off, I still want to place a disclaimer on dining in restaurants (unless the restaurants have a certified isolated kitchen or area where they prep and cook all gluten-free foods separately from those with gluten). I cannot make any recommendations, nor can I be held liable if any of these restaurants is unable to provide you with gluten-free food. When choosing to eat in restaurants, you’re taking a risk. That being said, I know how hard it is when you’re traveling and you cannot find any food to snack on or eat, and you’re desperate to find a restaurant that offers something…anything that is safe for consumption.

I’ve found a few links online that may be able to help you! Please let me know if you do visit any of these places and if you’d like to post a review of them here.

In addition to these, Jodi Ettenberg, of the travel blog Legal Nomads, is currently on a tour of Japan where she’s documenting her gluten free travels through the country. You can follow her via her blog above or her Facebook page.

Hong Kong:

If you’re traveling through Hong Kong, you should check out Urban Health. They also have a Facebook page you can follow. While I never had the opportunity to visit Hong Kong while living in Asia, I have heard that it has more options for gluten-free foods and Urban Health proves this right. Their co-founder recently reached out to me with the intention of connecting those of us traveling or living in Asia who need to follow a gluten-free diet. If you happen to live in Hong Kong, or you plan on visiting, definitely get in touch with them.

That’s it for now. I will be back with more updates and more tips on how to stay healthy while living or traveling through Japan. And, just so you know, I may soon be starting a new life in Korea in the near future, which will require learning how to live gluten-free in Korea.

Lots of love to you all. Stay healthy and happy while you’re in beautiful Japan!

This is an old post from last summer that I’m transferring from my other blog to this blog. I remembered it recently because I haven’t been feeling well lately. I had to work at an English camp last week and the other ALTs wanted to go out to eat every day. I was carpooling with them so I had no other choice but to join them. I should have been more strict with myself and just brought my own bento, eaten it beforehand, and joined them for coffee or tea. But it’s been super hot here in Okinawa, nearly 35 degrees everyday, and cooking in this heat isn’t fun. Still, I have to cook because it’s either that or feel like garbage. Anyways, I’ve been wishing for a gluten free restaurant to spring up in Okinawa or even somewhere else in Japan. Or a gluten free tour of Kyoto or Tokyo or even Hokkaido. In fact, I want to ask my readers for advice on places they’ve eaten at or traveled to in Japan that have catered to their needs. I think it would be great to get some insight as to how others who are following a gluten free diet are surviving in Japan. So, if you’re out there and you’re reading this blog, please drop me a comment or send me an email. I would love to hear from you.